Frequently Asked Questions Parrot Species Listed Under the Endangered Species Act TABLE OF CONTENTS GENERAL FAQs .......................................................................................................................... 2 GENERAL FAQs ABOUT PARROTS ...................................................................................... 4 FAQs FOR PARROTS LISTED AS THREATENED .............................................................. 5 FAQs FOR PARROTS LISTED AS ENDANGERED .............................................................. 7 PARROT SPECIES LISTED UNDER THE ESA as of 5/9/2014 ........................................... 10 1 GENERAL FAQs What is the process for adding a species to the list of threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)? In order for a plant or animal species can receive the protection provided under the ESA, it must be added to the Federal Lists of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife and Plants. A species is added to the list when it is determined to be endangered or threatened because of any of the following factors: a) the present or threatened destruction, modification or curtailment of its habitat or range; b) overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific or educational purposes; c) disease or predation; d) the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or e) other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence. An endangered species is defined as one “in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” A threatened species is defined as one “likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” The process of listing begins in one of two ways: through the petition process or the candidate assessment process. The ESA provides that any interested person may petition the Secretary of the Interior to add a species to, or to remove a species from, the lists of threatened and endangered wildlife and plants. Through the candidate assessment process, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists identify species that may warrant listing. For a detailed description of the listing process, see the Listing a Species as Threatened or Endangered, Section 4 of the ESA fact sheet at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-library/pdf/listing.pdf. What protections does the ESA provide to endangered wildlife? Without a permit or specific exemptions, the ESA prohibits any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to do the following: • import into and export from the U.S. listed species; • take (take includes harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, collect or to attempt any of these) listed species within the United States, its territorial waters or on the high seas; • deliver, receive carry, transport or ship listed species in interstate or foreign commerce in the course of commercial activity; • sell or offer for sale in interstate or foreign commerce; or • possess, sell, deliver, carry, transport or ship listed species taken in violation of the ESA. 2 Are the protections provided to endangered species different than those provided to threatened species? Endangered species receive full protection under the ESA, as described above. Threatened species may receive the full protection of the ESA, unless a special rule under section 4(d) of the act accompanies the listing. A special rule provides an avenue for using the flexibility inherent in the ESA to lay out all the prohibitions and exceptions to the prohibitions for a species, as well as the requirements that are “necessary and advisable” for the conservation of the species. In that case, the protections for a threatened species with a special rule may be different from that of an endangered species. Why does the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service list species in foreign countries when it has no regulatory jurisdiction in that country? The ESA requires the Service to list species regardless of the country in which they live. The ESA specifically directs the Service to consider species that have been identified by any foreign nation as at risk of extinction and to take into consideration conservation initiatives by foreign nations to prevent the need to list such species. Since the protections provided to listed species apply only to persons subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, how does listing under the ESA help foreign species? By regulating the activities of U.S. citizens and residents in relation to a listed species, the Service is ensuring that individuals under the jurisdiction of the United States do not contribute to the further decline of a threatened or endangered species. In addition, listing species under the ESA can generate conservation benefits, such as increasing awareness of them, prompting research efforts to address their conservation needs, or funding on-the-ground conservation in range countries. The ESA also authorizes the United States to provide financial assistance for the development and management of conservation programs for listed foreign species in foreign countries, as well as assistance for such programs in the training of personnel. Such funding, however, is subject to Congressional appropriations. Will the U.S. impose habitat protection or other restrictions in foreign countries where listed species occur? No. Certain provisions of the ESA do not apply to foreign-listed species. The ESA’s prohibitions apply only to people subject to U.S. jurisdiction. Therefore, the Service does not have the authority or the jurisdiction to designate critical habitat in foreign countries. Nor does the Service review actions carried out by foreign nationals to ensure that they do not jeopardize the 3 continued existence of endangered and threatened species, as it does with federal agencies in the United States. GENERAL FAQs ABOUT PARROTS Is my parrot listed under the ESA? A complete list of threatened and endangered parrot species can be found in the “Parrot Species Listed Under the ESA” section at the end of this document. Why are captive parrots in the United States included in the listing of the species under the ESA when the threats acting on the species occur in the wild? The ESA does not allow for captive-held animals to be assigned separate legal status from their wild counterparts on the basis of their captive state, including through designation as a separate population segment. For a full legal analysis, see the Service’s 12-month finding on a petition to list three antelope species at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-06-05/pdf/2013-13268.pdf. I bred or bought a listed parrot species before it was listed under the ESA. Do the prohibitions now apply to my bird? No. Birds that were born before the listing goes into effect and were not bought or sold after the listing went into effect are considered “pre-Act.” What you can do with your bird, provided you can provide documentation on when you obtained your bird, is not restricted by the ESA. However, if you choose to sell your bird, it will lose its “pre-Act” status and become a protected species under the ESA. Can I travel with my listed parrot within the United States? Yes. There are no restrictions on traveling with or transporting legally obtained threatened and endangered species within the United States, provided these activities are not occurring as part of a commercial sale. In other words, no ESA permit is required for you to travel or transport your pet bird within the United States, provided you are not selling it. 4 FAQs FOR PARROTS LISTED AS THREATENED Are there any special rules under section 4(d) of the ESA for listed parrot species? Yes. Some parrot species that are listed as threatened are included in a special rule for species in the parrot family (Click here for 50 CFR 17.41(c) and the list of included parrot species). Under the special rule for these parrots, all the prohibitions and provisions of the ESA apply except that the import and export of parrots that meet certain criteria and interstate commerce are allowed without a permit under the ESA, as explained below. Import and export: Provided you obtain appropriate permits from the Service under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Wild Bird Conservation Act (WBCA) you may import or export: 1) a wild-collected bird that was held in captivity prior to the date specified in the special rule. 2) a captive-bred bird. Failure to obtain permits, or to meet the provisions of the CITES or WBCA constitutes a violation of the ESA. Interstate commerce. You may deliver, receive, carry, transport, or ship in interstate commerce and in the course of a commercial activity, or sell or offer to sell, in interstate commerce parrot species listed in the special rule without an ESA permit. Can I purchase a parrot species listed as threatened under the ESA as a personal pet? Yes. The ESA does not prohibit the ownership of listed species as personal pets. The ESA also does not prohibit intrastate commerce (sale of a listed species within a state where both seller and buyer reside). Additionally, interstate commerce (the seller and buyer reside in different states) is allowed for parrot species included in the parrot special rule. If I purchase a parrot species listed as threatened, will the prohibitions under the ESA apply to my bird? Yes. All birds born or entered into commerce after the effective date of the listing as a threatened species are covered by the ESA’s prohibitions. Even if you purchase a bird that qualified as “pre- Act,” it will also be subject to the prohibitions; “pre-Act” birds lose this status as soon as they are offered for sale. If you purchase a threatened parrot species included in the parrot special rule, all prohibitions apply, except that import into or export from the United States and certain actions in interstate commerce are allowed without obtaining a permit under the ESA, provided certain criteria are met.